With the weather getting warmer, every consumer advocate in every state will start sounding the warning bells about home repair scams. This is something I don't remember hearing much about before coming to work at this office, but the evidence is overwhelming that this is a real problem. It's the topic of AG Nixon's Be a Savvy Consumer column this month.

We also offer a consumer publication on home repair fraud. And a new feature we offer: a guideline sheet (PDF) for drawing up a written agreement with a contractor. Some companies may not know what to do if you ask for a written contract - they prefer to do business on a "handshake agreement." If that's the case, you can draw up your own contract, and our document will help.